Getting My Life: The #EveryDayFitness Challenge

10:58 AM

I can't believe that it's actually August 1st. As in, we're about a month away from the final quarter of 2015. This year has been an interesting learning experience, to say the least!

I've gone through a lot of changes, both mentally and physically as I've transitioned to different phases of my life. I ended 2014 and started 2015 as a full time blogger and social media freelancer. It was a little stressful (there's NOTHING like having to hustle your butt off to meet a minimum financial threshold every month), but I was also happy to be doing what I loved on a full-time basis with enough flexibility to set my own schedule, and the bandwith to go off and do random things in the middle of the week, because I could.

Around March, I made the decision that it was time for me to return to the work force, and with God's grace I was able to in May. I work full-time as a social media manager and copywriter for a digital marketing agency based in So Cal. You can read more about that experience here. Having had some time to reflect on my transition into the work force, launching a new career, and trying to balance commitments all the way around, I've reached one conclusion:

My life is out of whack.

No, it's not in shambles and crumbling faster than a Nature Valley granola bar after the first bite. But the general sense of wellness I was able to maintain while working for myself is no longer there. Working full time, maintaining some freelance clients, and getting back into the rhythm of producing good content for the blog, BGLH, and brands while also keeping my relationship strong, working out, and carving out time for God, family, and myself can be pretty stressful and overwhelming.

It's time for a radical shift, and that's where my #EveryDayFitness Challenge comes in. Sometimes, I think people get the impression that bloggers are living "the life". And maybe some of them are, because they never have a bad day, their eyebrows are always done, they always have the best daytime lighting, never pay for products, jet set across the country for events, don't have ridiculously cluttered inboxes, can respond to texts on time, and never not have the time to do laundry. I ain't living like that. I don't live a curated life, and I never want you all to get the impression that I do. Yes, I'm blessed with certain opportunities, but that is a byproduct of the work I put into The Mane Objective. I could go on another tirade about that, but let's get back to what matters right now.

The #EveryDay FitnessChallenge is my way of getting back on track, restoring balance to my life, and embarking on a total wellness journey that you can relate to. Starting today, August 1st 2015, through December 31st 2015, I am committing myself to:

Getting physical activity daily. I'm aiming to work out at the gym at minimum 4 days a week, and for the remaining 3, get at least 15 minutes of activity in --walking, doing the running man... something.

Eating better and cooking more often. I'm not gonna set myself up to fail and embark on a"paleo", "clean eating" or some other kind of radically different diet lifestyle change. I'm simply committing myself to eating better, and making better food decisions when I go out to eat.

Spending more time with God. Nuff said.

Being more mindful and present when in the company of others. If I'm delayed in responding to your emails, social media comments, messages, etc...this is why. Try not to judge me too harshly.

Making my hair and skin as healthy as possible.

Stressing less. #JesusIsMyHelp

Saving more money.

Getting organized and de-cluttering .

Enjoying my life and the people in it. Appreciating them more.

As you can see, #EveryDayFitness involves more than just physical activity. It's about stringing the last 5 months of 2015 together in a way that's meaningful, impactful, and for myself, revolutionary. I don't want to work on just looking better, I want to feel better, think better, live better,act better, love better, and be the best me that I can possibly be.

Every week here on the blog, I'll be doing a post and updating you all on how the previous week went. I'll share successes, failures, high points, challenges, frustrations, victories, and of course, tips and information. This journey is one of discovery for me, and I'm going to share it with you all because that's what I do best. If I cooked an amazing meal with Flavor God, you'll know about it. If I found the most comfortable work out shoes ever, you'll learn where I got them from and how much I paid.

This journey won't be easy, but it will be worth it. I can't wait to share it with you all!